For all his talents and the charismatic way he came to fill the niche he made for himself, living as he did, when he did, I always think of him as a poet who happened to find success expressing...
For all his talents and the charismatic way he came to fill the niche he made for himself, living as he did, when he did, I always think of him as a poet who happened to find success expressing his poetry with music.
Some lines of his lyrics are a pleasure to read as standalone poetry, which of course is why there’s a lot of overlap between his songs and books. And some of his poems strike a chord with deceptive simplicity:
Undertow
I set out one night
When the tide was low
There were signs in the sky
But I did not know
I'd be caught in the grip
Of the undertow
Ditched on a beach
Where the sea hates to go
With a child in my arms
And a chill in my soul
And my heart the shape
Of a begging bowl
For all his talents and the charismatic way he came to fill the niche he made for himself, living as he did, when he did, I always think of him as a poet who happened to find success expressing his poetry with music.
Some lines of his lyrics are a pleasure to read as standalone poetry, which of course is why there’s a lot of overlap between his songs and books. And some of his poems strike a chord with deceptive simplicity:
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Boy oh boy to have been there at Glasto in 2008 for the Hallelujah finalé.